In one of the more shocking claims by British news outlet Sun, Manchester City should be bracing themselves for a £5 million Chelsea raid for Joe Hart. The English international has been reportedly identified as an ideal target by the newly appointed Maurizio Sarri, who is keen to strengthen the goalkeeping department in the wake of Thibaut Courtois’ expected departure.
The Belgian shot-stopper seems to have earned himself a big money move to Real Madrid this summer following an impressive World Cup campaign that saw him secure the prestigious Golden Glove award. Courtois’ likely exit, however, has left Chelsea desperate in search of a viable replacement in the market.
But, the Blues could well run the risk of angering some in their fanbase by reportedly launching a move for Manchester City’s Joe Hart. The former Birmingham keeper has been on the fringes of late having suffered a drastic drop in his stock in the last couple of seasons.
Since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, to be precise, the former England number one was deemed surplus to Manchester City’s needs due to his lack of comfort with the ball at his feet and was subsequently loaned out to Torino – a bizarre move that took the internet by storm.
Following a somewhat disappointing spell in Serie A, Hart was once again loaned out last summer but this time, to a Premier League club in the shape of West Ham United. Hart featured in 19 league matches for West Ham, securing four clean sheets as the Hammers finished the season on the wrong side of the table.
Meantime, the 31-year-old is currently touring with Manchester City in their pre-season preparations in the USA. In fact, he also featured in the second half of the recent friendly against Borussia Dortmund but ended up on the losing team as the German side emerged 1:0 victors.
Although Chelsea’s interest in Joe Hart might seem to be illogical at first thought, the moves actually make a lot of sense given the fact the Blues are also expected to complete the swoop for AC Milan sensation Gianluigi Donnarumma.
While the Italian whizkid will likely take time to settle in as the desired replacement for Courtois, Hart’s ample amount of experience in top-flight flight football could help the 19-year-old groom into the role of Chelsea’s number one keeper in the nigh future.
In addition, the 31-year-old will also boost Chelsea’s quota of home-grown players where they are absolutely on the edge.